Argentina vs Switzerland: World Cup quarterfinal – Messi, prediction, news
Lionel Messi’s Argentina faces Breel Embolo’s Switzerland for a place in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Three wins to go. How can
Lionel Messi’s Argentina faces Breel Embolo’s Switzerland for a place in the semifinals of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Three wins to go. How can your team reach the final and win the World Cup 2026? Click here to find out. Who: Argentina vs Switzerland What: FIFA World Cup 2026 – Quarterfinal Where: Kansas City Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, the United States When: Saturday at 8pm (01:00 GMT on Sunday) How to follow: We will have all the build-up on Al Jazeera Sport from 22:00 GMT before our live text commentary stream. After two gruelling knockout contests, defined by controversies more than goals, Argentina enter the business end of the World Cup. The reigning champions outclassed most title contenders in the group stage, thanks to the unstoppable striking force of Lionel Messi. But their unconvincing, stuttering run in the knockout phase – where they were pitted against far inferior opponents – has raised a question: Can Argentina really retain their title? Up next for the two-time world champions is Switzerland, who have quietly made a remarkable return to the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years. The impressive duo of Breel Embolo and Johan Manzambi has won Swiss hearts, and Saturday’s clash offers them a chance to seek revenge for a World Cup defeat by Argentina in 2014. How did Argentina and Switzerland reach the quarterfinals? Argentina had a strong showing in the first round, topping Group J by beating Austria, Jordan and Algeria. In the round of 32, they were pushed to their limits by Cape Verde before squeezing past 3-2 in extra time, and came from two goals down to beat Egypt 3-2 in a controversial last-16 contest which drew allegations of officiating bias.
Switzerland topped Group B with an unbeaten record, winning against Canada and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and drawing with Qatar. They beat Algeria 2-0 in the round of 32 and beat Colombia 4-3 on penalties to reach the quarterfinals for the first time in 72 years. ‘Argentina are not invincible’: Swiss coach What started out as a confident campaign has slowly turned into a shaky title defence for Argentina. Tournament debutants Cape Verde – the smallest nation to play in the World Cup knockouts – gave Argentina a wake-up call, forcing the reigning champions to dig deep for victory. The Argentinian suffering continued in the next game, where they trailed 2-0 against Egypt before turning it around in stoppage time – in a contest where the opposition accused the referee of favouring the title holders. These performances have pushed Argentina down to fourth in the pecking order of the favourites, while they’ve also slipped from the top spot to number two in the FIFA rankings. It has instilled the belief in the Swiss camp that beating Argentina is not out of reach. “We’re up against the defending champions, which is a unique opportunity. At the same time, we’ve realised that Argentina are not invincible,” Switzerland coach Murat Yakin said. “It should be an interesting match from a tactical point of view.” Can ageing Messi keep up with the demands of the World Cup? At 39, when most players’ careers are long behind them, Messi is proving that age is just a number. In his sixth and possibly last World Cup, Messi has maintained a perfect record, scoring in each of Argentina’s five matches so far.
The BriefWire